I have always been interested in the relationship between life and time. THE TWELVE SOULS OF TIME makes me both nervous and excited, particularly as a followup to my previous piece, The Blooming of Time. The Twelve Souls of Time is about the time of life, in contrast with natural time in The Blooming of Time. My adventurous spirit got me started on the subject of time. In conjunction with other artists, I developed a strong desire to investigate about the life of time.

A series of questions surface without complete answers. Why use the 12 zodiac signs to calculate time? What is the reality of the world before time became quantifiable? Where does the Zodiac come from? What is it going to do? Where is it going? Art is not a direct answer to the problem. Art is more about a dialogue with time, with the Zodiac, and with the audience. (Gao Yanjinzi)

About the work
In ancient legends, there was a sleeping mountain. Twelve animals came to the mountain in search of life. They believed that as long as they got to the top of the mountain, time would have life and the mountain would wake up again.
Duration: 90 minutes
Premiere: May 2017
Choreographer: Gao Yanjinzi
Cast: 22 dancers

Introduction
Beijing Contemporary Dance Company has focused on the culture of time in recent years, using it as a base to create art on stage. We explore two subjects, the wisdom of China’s unique way of computing time, which is not only accurate but also crystallizes Chinese philosophy, and in the present creation, time as a mostly realistic or historical subject. We have aimed to create works that walk with time, can be shared with the world, and be relevant to all ages. The people of the world and new generations can learn about Chinese culture and wisdom through our works on time, and become acquainted with the beauty and taste of life linked to time. The 12 Zodiac signs are the great wisdom and interest of the ancient Chinese people. Their humorous imagination is unique in the world. After audiences’ warm reception of The Blooming of Time and its poetic exploration of the meaning of man and nature, we have created The Twelve Souls of Time as a companion piece.

Program II : THE BLOOMING OF TIME

If all beings are not affectionate, there is no “sense of life” of the world…

“Spring, summer, autumn, and winter” are the customs of god, they span heaven and earth, the weather, and the spirit of life. In this universe of all beings, waking, growing, harvesting, and dying form the rhythm of life.

The universe completed a reincarnation again and again in constant change. God rotates in infinite love, exceedingly fascinating and charming. The core of flowers is the world of many flower gods and is the eyes in everything that watch the world’s warmth and coldness across the four seasons. In ancient times, there were “flower sets” to exchange the world’s lovers. Today, we hope that The Blooming of Time will have the opportunity to cross a border… – Gao Yanjinzi

Introduction
The 24 solar marks are based on observing and measuring the changing regularity of the position of the sun by ancient Chinese people. They summarize the seasonal changes, guide the agricultural activities and affect the supplementary calendar of thousands of households. They are a special way for Chinese to calculate time, are the discovery of the dialogue between heaven and earth. They are the manifestation of oriental philosophy and aesthetics…

Blooming of time takes 24 solar marks as carrying agent with the eyes of flowers, the listening of flowers, the heart of flowers to see the world, harvest the stories of different creatures in the 12 duration of flowers bloom and fall.

The 24 solar marks are the legs that the flowers can walk on. Each solar term allows the flower to walk in different paths, because of twenty-four solar terms, the expansion of flowers will not end at the dying, the new spirit will continue to pass on, the flowers never really left.

The creation of the choreographer starts from the spring equinox, and goes through grain rain, lesser fullness, white dew, great snow and the last wheel returns to beginning of spring, and ends with the waking of insects.

In the whole play, the audience will realize that nature itself has its own rules in the infinitive. Each cycle carries the ancient soul, every birth is a new bloom of life…

Program III : OATH – MIDNIGHT RAIN

Oath – Midnight Rain is a creation work for the Venice Biennale (2006)

Everyone will leave, but will not really leave, we will come back again – Tibetan Proverb

The understanding of the process of life in Chinese traditional culture, especially the concept of “reincarnation” and “everything has a spirit”, makes the Oriental culture keep a unique temperament of mystery, seclusion and silence.

Introduction
Oath – Midnight Rain is the author´s understanding and expression of reincarnation. Because “Desire” is still unfinished, so can´t really leave. It is a special moment and is the time of night and day, black and white, and the alternating of the end and the beginning. Rain on night, the five incarnations of life are just one of those moments.

The works attempt to express the contradictions and conflicts between the inner ideal and the outside world through “flowers, birds, fish, insects and grass”, which are most common life, but have a strong symbolic meaning in Chinese traditional culture, hoping in the rebirth again and again to find the true soul under the skin.

Beijing Contemporary Dance Company

On December 7, 1995, Beijing Contemporary Dance Company (BCDC) was created to promote the development of local art and to produce contemporary art works based on respect and continuity of traditional culture.

For more than 20 years, Beijing Contemporary Dance Company has released nearly 100 creations. After BCDC was founded, in February 1996, it premiered Red and Black at the Beijing Poly Theater. In October 2005, at the invitation of the Ministry of Culture, BCDC went to the United States to perform at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts in Washington DC and attended the “China Culture Festival”during the exchange of visits between the leaders of China and the United States. In 2006, BCDC was commissioned by the Singapore Arts Festival, Venice Biennale, and other major international festivals to create work. In 2007, BCDC was commissioned to create work on the opening Dutch Dance Festival and in the same year, the work Jue won the Annual Performance Award of “Danza&Danza”. In 2008, BCDC was invited by Lyon, France to participate in the Lyon Biennale “Focus Dance” Forum. At the invitation of Pina Bausch, BCDC attended the Dance Festival in Dusseldorf-Germany. In 2009, BCDC was invited to participate in the Romanian International Arts Festival and the Israel Arts Festival. In 2010, BCDC was invited to participate in the “Europalia” Arts Festival in Belgium. In 2011, BCDC was invited to attend the Salisbury Festival in England. In 2012, BCDC was invited to participate in the China-Japan Contemporary Dance Forum. BCDC performed series of classic works, including Oath-Midnight Rain, Offering, Wandering in The Realm of Lightness, Spring Festival, Blooming of Time and The Twelve Souls of Time, and so on. The works of BCDC have been widely concerned and praised by domestic and foreign experts and critics.

Gao Yanjinzi

Artistic Director of Beijing Contemporary Dance Company , is one of the founding members of BCDC. Her work draws on her Buddhist upbringing and traditional Chinese dance training. In a contemplative, harmonious world, her dancers move with a natural flow of energy, yet surprises lurk around every turn, causing audiences to question the legitimacy of such binaries as “traditional/contemporary” and “East/West”.

She has received numerous major awards for performance and choreography both in China and abroad, including the Grand Prix at the 12th International Modern Choreography Competition in Belarus for her piece Worlds (1999). Ms. Gao has adjudicated national dance competitions and served as artistic director for such programs as the 2006 China Central Television (CCT) Chinese Lunar New Year Arts Special. She performs and presents her work throughout Asia, Europe, Australia, North and South America, and has received commissions to create works for such festivals as the Berlin Art Festival (Jue-Aware, 2004), Italy´s Biennale di Venezia (Oath – Midnight Rain, 2006), Singapore Dance Festival (Jing Hua Shui Yue – INTO, 2006), Holland International Dance Festival (Women of the World-Offering, 2007), etc. Her work Jue-Aware has received the Danza e Danza award for best performance in 2006 by Italy ´s leading dance magazine Danza e Danza. Ms. Gao has been personally invited by Pina Bausch to create and performa a solo work As I heard to premiere in Pina Bausch´s dance festival in Germany in November, 2008. Ms. Gao collaborated with Wen Wei Dance of Canada in 2009 to work on a new work Under the Skin which was premiered at Canada Dance Festival at the Canada National Art Center in 2010 and toured around Canada in 2011. Her latest work Offering-Fragrance in 2011 has just successfully premiered in May at the National Centre for Performing Arts. As an artist who always practices what she preaches and who´s always dedicated to her craft and is continuously pushing the boundary, Gao Yanjinzi is frequently invited by the Education Centre of the National Centre for Performing Arts to give workshops and seminars to share with an increasing number of dance lovers and art lovers what dance has given her in return over the years of her creative work.

BCDC Memorabilia

2017/05

Original large dance drama “The Twelve Souls of Time” remiered at the Beijing National Theatre.

2016/02

Dance Drama “The Twelve Souls of Time” won the first Beijing Cultural and Art Fund-funded projects

2016/11

BCDC invited to visit Egypt to participate in the Sino-Egyptian Cultural Year Exchange Activities. Successfully performed twice in the dance drama “Oath – Midnight Rain” which is warmly welcomed by the Egyptian audience. With the Cairo Opera House Dance group successfully organized a rich form of work shop and other exchange activities.

2016/10

BCDC with dance drama “Blooming of Time” participated in the National Grand Theater Dance Festival, and the performance was a complete success.

2016/05

Phoenix Satellite TV 20 Anniversary International Friendship Day, 120 foreign ambassadors and counselors in Beijing attended the event, BCDC was invited to perform. BCDC was invited to visit Sri Lanka for a performance.

2016/1

BCDC went to Croatia to exchange performances with the National Culture Ministry. In the G20 Asian Investment Bank initiation ceremony, more than 50 countries and representatives attended. BCDC was invited to perform to perform, and President Xi Jinping attended the event.

2015

The second large-scale creation of modern dance drama “Blooming of Time”, BCDC went to to Trier City Theater in Germany, Bad Homburg Hall, the Chinese Consulate in Frankfurt, Kassel City Hall, to carry out tour performance and premiered in the Beijing Theater, the national tour total of 22. The contemporary dance drama “Blooming of Time” has been performed 24 times in 2015.

2014

The new version “Spring Festival” was performed at Tianjin Grand Theatre. Cui Jian, the director of the dance drama, joined the dance artist Gao Yanjinzi to inject fresh expression into the dance drama. Gao Yanjinzi, with BCDC as the art director, and filmed MV for the theme song “Silent” for the movie version of “Silent Separation”. The song was directed by Gao Xiaosong, sung by Na Ying and by Huang Xiaoming as the leading actor. BCDC is very successful in this cross-border cooperation.

2013

The masterpiece “Spring Festival” is directed by Ms. Gao and by Cui Jian as music director. The whole music was a tailor made for Cui Jian, which received a great response after the first performance of the National Grand Theatre. The art world believes that this dance drama not only inherits the rebellious spirit of the original, but also sublimate the theme of the original “death” value to “life”, which is a major innovation and rereading of the Centennial Classic “The Rite of Spring”.

2013/06

Art director Gao Yanjinzi, was invited by Canada WenWei Dance Company to travel to Canada, with director Wang Wen-wei, and with He Tiuxia, director of the “Silk Road” World Music Company, and together created new works “Chinese Story”.

2013/03

BCDC was invited to the Salisbury Art Festival in the UK to perform the BCDC´s classic repertoire “Jue”.

2013/02

BCDC was invited by Ministry of Culture “Happy Spring Festival” activities to carry out special contemporary dance performances in Tel Aviv and Kameel in Israel.

2012/09

At the invitation of the Ministry of Culture, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and the Russian Ministry of Culture, BCDC participated in the performance of the “China Year of Culture” in Russia.

2012/03-05

BCDC was invited to participate in the “Beauty of the Folk Songs-China-Japan Contemporary Dance Forum”, The Roundtable Forum and dance master display.

2012/03

BCDC was invited to attend the “China Year” cultural exchange in Brown University, and created work “We send a letter to the gods” for Brown University.

2011/12
2012/01

At the invitation of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture, BCDC accompanied the party secretary Liu Qi and the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture to visit Albania, Kenya and other countries and do a performance exchange. The repertoire “The Other Shore/Under the Skin” toured China with the Canadian Wen Wei Dance Troupe.

2011/05

With the Canadian Wen Wei Dance Troupe, BCDC created international cooperation “Under the Skin”, and as the closing drama of the Canadian International Dance Festival on June 12, and internationally premiered at Canadian National Arts Center.

2011/03

China-Canada cooperation drama “The Other Shore” successfully conducted performed 10 more in Canada.

2010/02

BCDC was invited to Belgium “Europalia” Art Festival.

2009/10

BCDC toured to Jerusalem, Haifa and Tel Aviv at the invitation of the State Council news and Israel Arts Festival.

2009/05

BCDC was invited to participate in Romania Sibiu International Arts Festival

2008

BCDC was once again invited to perform “Jue” in the China Arts Festival, and there was no empty seat in the three performances.

BCDC was invited by the Ministry of Culture and Roman Music park in Italy to participate in the “China Arts Festival”.

2008/02

BCDC was invited to participate in the “Chinese Arts Festival” held by Beijing Municipal Cultural Bureau and the City Government of London and performed at Royal Opera House. Invited to attend the Singapore “Chinese Arts Festival” and perform at the “Durian Theatre” at the Seaside Arts Center.

2006

BCDC was commissioned by the Singapore Dance Theatre to create a dance drama “INTO-Jing, Hua, Shui,Yue” and premiered at the Grand Theatre of The Esplanade. More than 2000 viewers, including the President of Singapore, were deeply impressed by the smooth choreography of the dance drama, the simple and electricity consumption full lighting set, and the deep Chinese Cultural Heritage embodied in the dance drama.

2006/12

BCDC performed dance drama in cooperation with the Norwegian Ibsen Theatre.

2006/11

BCDC was invited to join the European Arts Festival in Rome, Italy.

2006/10

At the invitation of Beijing Cultural Bureau, BCDC attended the “Cross-strait City Arts Festival” in Taipei.

2006/08

At the invitation of French Pierre Cardin brand, BCDC went to France for the Ancient Castle Festival.

2006/06

BCDC accepted the commission from the Venice Biennale to create new works.

BCDC was invited to Australia to attend the opening performance of the Multicultural Arts Festival of Canberra.

2005/10

At the invitation of the Ministry of Culture, BCDC went to the Kennedy Arts Center in the US to participate in the Sino-american Cultural Year “Chinese Culture Festival” large´scale performances, touring the US.

2005/07

BCDC received an invitation from Italy´s Bologna International Performing Arts Festival to perform in Italy.

2005/06

BCDC received an invitation from the Venice Biennale in Italy .

2005/03

BCDC again again accepted the invitation of the Berlin Arts Festival to perform at the Opening Ceremony of the Festival.

2005/02

Tour to the United States, performing at the Joyce Theater, MUSIC CENTRE and other U.S. mainstream theaters.

2005/01

BCDC tour in France.

2004/11

Invitation of the State Council press office to Brazil, BCDC attended the visit abroad activity of the head of State, Hu Jintao, completed the “Perception of China” large-scale cultural exchange event organized by the State Council News office, and participated in the ministry´s touring program, performing in the most important 10 theaters in Brazil.

2004/02

BCDC participated in the Berlin Festival in Germany, performing “Jue”.